James Maddison speaks to Thomas Tuchel ahead of England squad reveal
James Maddison is waiting to find out if he will make Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad, but the attacking midfielder certainly does not doubt that he is good enough to be a difference-maker for the Three Lions.
A lot of players up and down the country will be facing a nervous wait as the new England boss gets set to name his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.
This includes a couple of Spurs players, with Dominic Solanke looking to keep his place in the squad while Djed Spence is hoping for a first England call-up.
Maddison, meanwhile, has been a key part of the England set-up in the past but has missed out on recent occasions, with the attacking midfielder hoping that a change of management works in his favour.
James Maddison has spoken to Thomas Tuchel about England
The 28-year-old will find out in a couple of days if he has managed to force his way back into the national set-up, with the squad set to be announced on Friday.
Maddison is confident that he has the ability to make a difference for England if he is selected, but he insisted that he is more focused on having a strong end to the season at Tottenham.
When asked if he has spoken with Tuchel, the midfielder told Sky Sports: “Yeah, we had a chat. He’s England manager, I think he would be speaking to everyone who’s in possible call-up selection. It’s tough to reflect on personal [ambitions] when a team’s not doing well, because you can score and if you lose the game, it’s worthless.
“I’ve got 10 goals this season but I want it to be worth more because it’s a good return for a midfielder, I’m happy with that return. When you start the season you look as an attacking midfielder, your job is to score and create for the team and goals and assists is a big thing about that. But ultimately, if it leads to the team finishing mid-table and it’s not going deep in the Europa League then it’s kind of worthless.
“Of course, England is another thing that I have ambition for. Fresh manager, fresh start, I know I can play at that level, I have the self-belief to do that, play against these players every week in the Premier League and I know I can be at that level and beyond, so ambitious for it all.”
Maddison faces a big fight to get into England squad
The issue as always for Maddison is that there is a lot of competition for the attacking spots, although some of England’s big-name attackers have underperformed this season.
The other issue is the Tottenham man’s lack of versatility. He is wasted out wide while he does not have the legs or the defensive ability to operate in a deeper midfield role, with number ten being the only fit for him.
Maddison’s selection could thus depend a great deal on the type of tactical system Tuchel has in mind.
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